It’s no secret that online homeschooling is fast becoming the preferred option for education in the United States. Even those who don’t believe in its potential cannot deny that it may soon be the only alternative we have to provide our children with a good education. Conventional schooling systems just can’t seem to keep up with the rapid pace of constantly changing technology. Classroom settings are proving to be more expensive and unaffordable, and with the economy still reeling under the effects of the economic crisis, opening up new schools will prove to be even harder. We just don’t have the funds to do it. Moreover, raising the standard of our education system is now of paramount importance. If our children are to build any kind of life they need to be equipped with the right skill sets. As parents and teachers, it is our responsibility to ensure they have access to an environment that will help them achieve that.

FLEXIBILITY AND CONVENIENCE

Being able to study at your own pace is a benefit you can’t really put a price on. By allowing students to proceed at their own pace, online learning environments encourage wholesome learning as opposed to learning for the sole objective of securing grades. Such platforms provide students with the option to really explore their study material and engage in interesting conversations with their teachers and peers that help them understand their course material a lot better. The free exchange of information between peers without conventional apprehensions also makes the job of the teacher a lot easier. With students interacting a lot more, teachers can now facilitate more independent learning and provide inputs when required. In this manner, they are able to foster independent learning – an extremely valuable skill in today’s corporate world.

Due to rapidly changing technology, working professionals are expected to learn and adapt on the fly, something most of them aren’t able to do given their traditional learning backgrounds. It is this flexibility that has helped online schools in the United States surpass traditional schooling environments in popularity. In addition to the degree of flexibility, they are also extremely convenient solutions. Online learning platforms are entirely web-based, which is a huge step forward from conventional brick-and-mortar classrooms. Since all you need is a computer and an internet connection to log on and get started, students can access their course material from virtually anywhere. Moreover, since it also supports asynchronous communication, students and teachers are not always required to be online at the same time.

This allows students (and teachers) the convenience of logging in to the platform according to their own schedules. Online homeschooling further eliminates the need for travel. This makes it extremely convenient for students, teachers and parents too! Not having to travel to school, especially during the winter, makes it a lot easier and much more enjoyable for children to complete their coursework online. Being able to interact online also helps transcend physical boundaries. This way, students and teachers from any part of the country can get in touch with each other. With an increasing number of foreign nationals now looking at online courses as a viable option to further their education, interaction with them too, has become a lot more feasible. This has served as a great facilitator for the international exchange of information and has opened up many more educational avenues.

ECONOMIC VIABILITY

The capital costs involved in setting up a conventional brick-and-mortar classroom are exorbitant when compared with the minimal expenditure that is incurred in setting up an online school. The cost of producing and distributing online course material too is much lower when compared to the expenses incurred on the production and distribution of textbooks. Carrying all those books around is another hassle students have to deal with and let’s face it, producing all those books is going to have a detrimental impact on our environment. Why not adopt online material that does not require cutting down trees? Online learning environments make it a lot easier to carry around your coursework with you wherever you go. How? Well, because you don’t have to. The worst-case scenario may require you to carry around your electronic notebook or tablet. That’s it!

Economic feasibility has been one of the major reasons for limited or no access to a good quality education in rural districts. This has been a major barrier to students from such areas wanting to take up courses of their choice. Additionally, the lack of required teaching faculty has further limited their options. But with online homeschooling, these are no longer issues to worry about. Furthermore, the low cost involved has made it much more feasible to increase the penetration rates for education in rural areas. With government budgets already under a lot of stress, ensuring our children graduate with their high school diplomas has become the collective responsibility of teachers and parents. Such online solutions make it lot more affordable for parents to provide their children with a good education. They no longer have to solely rely on the government.

ENHANCED SAFETY

With recent incidents creating fear and panic among many parents, it is time for us to explore options that are safer for our children. Online schools provide your children with an environment that is accompanied by a high degree of safety. After all, what can be safer than the comfort of your own home and you watching over your child? Studying online provides you with several different kinds of online as well as asynchronous communication, which makes it extremely easy for you as a parent, to stay on top of your child’s progress. Barring the occasional exception, you are free to interact with your child’s teachers in an online environment, which makes it extremely convenient for you.

Forest Trail Academy is one such online school in the United States that provides you with high quality, integrated online courses to help your child secure a good education and a bright future.